Burglar alarm switch



grwQ/YWOD 100852. 11 OWZ/VJ R. J. OWENS BURGLAR ALARM SWITCH Flled Sept 16, 1949 May 29, 1951 Patented May 29 1951 UN I'T ED STAT ES PAT ENT' OFFICE BI'JRGILAR ALARM'SWIT'CH' Robert J-.- Owens, J ellico, Tenn.

Application"septemberlfi, 1949; Serial No. 116,153

3 Claims.- 1.

This invention relates to improvements in electric switches, and more particularly to a closure-operated switch for controlling a burglar alarm and for other purposes.

Itis' among the objects of the invention to provide an improved switch which is normally held in open position by closure means, such as doors or windows, and closes'automatically when such closure means are moved in an opening direction, which provides two switch-closing elements independently movable between switch-opening and switch-closing positions by respective closure means and provides two different circuits, one of which may be connected to an audible signal, such as a doorbell or buz zer, and the other of which may be connected to a visual signal, such as a porch light or flood light, and which is simple and durable in construction, substantially weatherproof, easy to install, neat and attractive in appearance, and economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantageswill become apparent from a consideration of the" following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying" drawing", w'here'int Figure l is a rear elevation of an electric switch illustrative of the invention with the parts thereof shown in switch-opening position; and Figure 2 is' a viewsimuar to Figure I with one of the parts of the switch shown in switchclosing position.

With continued reference to the drawing, the improved switch comprises a hollow, rectangular housing IO formed of electrically insulative ma'-- teria'l and comprising a flat-front wall It mar ginally' surrounded by flanges including two sp'aced-apart, substantially parallel side flanges r: and f3; and two spaced-apart", substantially parallel end flanges I 4 and I5" joined at their opposite ends to the corresponding ends or"- the side flanges and disposed substantially perpendicular to the latter. Screw holes Hi are ro-- v-ided at the corners respectively of the housing, and at the mid-length locations of the two side flangesl2 and :3 to receive screws for attaching" the switch to a door or window frameor other supporting structure. A suitable cover plate may be provided for the open back side of the housing, if desired, or the open backside of the housing may be placed directly against the surface of a supporting structure, suchasa door or a window frame; which structure: thense'rvesas aclosure for the open side ot the hous ing.

'l-we elongated levers i1 andit, also of elec'- mica-11y insuhitiv' material, are disposed in tl'i housing" in spaced-apart, substantially cote'r-* minous relationship; and these levers are pivot ally connected to the housing at their mid-- length locations by pivot pins l9 and 20', re-' spectively, each secured at one end in the front Wall H of the housing and extending through an aperture provided in thecorresponding lever.

A contact plate is carried at each end of each of the levers l1 and Hi, the lever ll having a contact plate 2| of electrically conductive materialon its outer side at its end adjacent the end wall I4, and a similar contact plate 22 on its inner side at its end adjacent the end wall it of the housing, while the lever 18' has a con tactplate 23 of electrically conductive material on its outer side at its end adjacent the end wall M of the housing, and a similar contact plate 24 on its inner side at its end adjacent the housing end flange l5.

Two spaced-apart, substantially parallel conductor bars 25 and 26 are mounted on the front wall I l of the housing adjacent and substantially parallel to' the end flange M and these conductor bars have, at their opposite ends, contacts disposed at the outer sides of the two levers Il and I8, the bar 25 having thereon the contacts 2'! and 28', and the bar 25 having thereon the con tacts 29 and 30. These contact bars may be mounted on bases 31 and 32, respectively, of electrically insulative material secured to the front wall of the housing I9 by suitable means, such" as the screws 33.

A second pair of contact bars 3 and 35- is mounted on the front wall of the housing in spaced-apart, substantially parallel relationship to each other and are disposed adjacent and substantially parallel to the end flange of the housing. The two conductor bars 34 and 35 have, at their opposite ends, contacts disposed between the two levers I7 and 8 at the corresponding end of the pair of levers, the bar 34 having thereon the contacts 35 and 31, and the bar 35 carrying the contacts 38 and 35. These bars may also be mounted on bases at and M, respectively, of electrically insulative material and secured to the front wall of the housing by suitable means, such as the screws 42.

A wire 43 is connected to the conductor bar 25 substantially at the mid-length location of this bar, and a similar wire 44' is connected to the bar 25 substantially at the mid-length location of the latter. These wires extend outwardly ofthe housing through an aperture 45 provided in the end flange l4 and they constitute a part 3 of the circuit of a visual signal, such as a porch light or flood light.

A wire 46 is connected to the conductor bar 34, and a similar wire 41 is connected to the con ductor bar 35, these wires being connected to the conductor bars substantially at the mid-length location thereof and extending outwardly of the housing through an aperture 48 provided in the housing end flange [5. The wires 46 and 41 may constitute a part of the circuit of a low-voltageoperated audible signal device, such as a buzzer or doorbell.

A torsion spring 49 is looped about a pin 50 projecting inwardly from the front wall I I of the housing between the pivot pins I9 and 20, and this spring is connected at its opposite ends to the levers l1 and I8, respectively, at locations spaced from the pivot pins [9 and 20, and resiliently urges the levers to their switch-closing position in which the contact plate 2| engages the contacts 21 and 29 to electrically inter-connect the conductors bars 25 and 26, the contact plate 22 engages the contacts 36 and 38 to electrically inter-connect the conductor bars 34 and 35, the conductor plate 23 engages the contacts 28 and 39 to alternatively electrically inter-connect the bars 25 and 26, and the conductor plate 24 engages the contacts 31 and 39 to alternatively inter-connect the bars 34 and 35.

It is thus apparent that both sides of the switch are closed when either one or both of the levers I1 and I8 are moved to switch-closing position by the spring 49, as illustrated in the case of the lever 51 in Figure 2.

A substantially cylindrical socket formation is provided on the side flange I2 and projects inwardly of the housing, and a similar socket formation 52 is provided on the side flange I3. A plunger 53 is slidably mounted in the socket 5| and has its inner end in contact with the outer side of the lever I] at a location adjacent that at which the spring 49 is connected with this lever, and a similar plunger 53 is slidably mounted in the socket formation 52 and has its inner end in contact with the outer side of the lever I8 adjacent the location at which the spring 49 is connected to this lever. When the plungers 53 and 54 are held inwardly of the housing [0, both of the levers I? and [8 are held in switch-opening position, as particularly illustrated in Figure 1. If either or both of the plungers are permitted to move outwardly of the housing, the corresponding lever or levers will be moved by the spring 49 to switch-closing position.

As stated above, the switch housing may be mounted on a window or door frame. If mounted on a door frame, it will be so positioned that one of the plungers will be held inwardly of the switch by the door while the door is closed, and the other plunger will be held inwardly of the housing by the associated screen door while such screen door is also closed. Thus, if either the screen door or the main door is opened, the switch will be closed and the alarm controlled thereby placed in operation. In mounting the switch on a window frame, it may be so mounted that if either the upper or lower sash of the window is moved, the switch will be closed and the alarm placed in operation.

While the improved switch is particularly designed to control a burglar-alarm system including both visual and audible signals, it may obviously be used for various other purposes without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention,

,essential characteristics thereof.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. A switch comprising a hollow housing, a pair of levers disposed in spaced-apart, substantially coterminous relationship in said housing, means pivotally connecting said levers to said housing at locations intermediate the length of the levers, a contact plate on each end of each lever and disposed at respectively-opposite sides of the lever, a first pair of conductor bars mounted in said housing transversely to one end of said pair of levers, contacts carried by said bars at the outer sides of saidlevers for engagement by the contact plates on the adjacent ends of the levers whereby movement of either or both of said levers to switch-closing position is effective to electrically inter-connect said bars, a second pair of contact bars disposed in said housing transversely to the opposite end of said pair of levers, contacts on said second pair of bars at the inner sides of said levers engageable by the contact plates on the adjoining ends of said levers to electrically interconnect said second pair of contact bars when one or both of said levers are moved to switch-closing position, spring means in said housing connected to said levers to resiliently urge said levers to their switch-closing position, and plunger means slidably mounted in said housing at opposite sides there-of and respectively engaging said levers to hold said levers in switch-opening position against the force of said spring means while said plunger means are held inwardly of said housing.

2. An electric switch comprising a hollow housing, a pair of levers pivotally mounted in said housing, two sets of contacts of four contacts in each set mounted in said housing adjacent said levers, means on each lever simultaneously connecting two contacts of each of said two sets when each lever is moved to switch-closing position, resilient means connected between said levers urging the latter to switch-closing position, and pressure-operated means slidably carried by said housing transversely to the lever and respectively engaging said levers to independently move the latter to switch-opening position against the force of said resilient means.

3. A switch comprising a housing having opposed side Walls, a pair of insulated levers pivotally mounted in the housing intermediate their ends for swinging movement of the ends relative to the side walls, contact members carried by the opposing ends of the levers, a first pair of conductor bars mounted in the housing transversely to one end of the lever, contacts on the ends of said bars engageable by the contact members on the levers, a second pair of conductor bars mounted in the housing transversely to the other ends of the levers and having contacts engageable by the contact members on the lever, plungers slidably disposed transversely through the side walls of the housing and engageable with the levers for retaining said contact members out of engagement with the contacts on the bars,

5 6 said levers being independently releasable by the UNITED STATES PATENTS outward movement of the plungers to engage the Number Name Date contacts and a spring mounted intermediate the 764 043 Coleman July 5 1904 pivoted portions of the levers and connected to 798:160 Carichoff 1905 th levers for independently ur i the levers 5 ,1 5,851 Snyder June 6: 1916 to their switch closing position. 1,236,567 Jobe Aug 14 9 7 ROBERT OWENS- 1,675,465 Roehrich July 3, 1928 2,201,972 Moutray et a1 May 21, 1940 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 file of this patent: 

